Once you sign up for the free 5GB of storage space with Drive, it takes you directly into your Google Docs page, where it asks if you want to convert Docs into Drive. Once accepted, you can download the Drive app for your Windows desktop. It will sync all of your docs in .gdocs format. Once double clicked, they will open in your browser.

If you need more than 5GB, no worries - you can get 25GB for $2.49/month, 100GB for $4.99/mo, or even 1TB for $50/mo.

We'll be digging into Drive deeper throughout the day, comparing it to Dropbox, and finding all of the nifty little quirks along the way. Expect a full dive later today.

Native support throughout your mobile operating system, consolidation of accounts, and storing your data with one of the most reliable sources for cloud storage (although that is not really much of an issue considering how good the other guys are).

ericl5112

I just want to start with, why is the internet so rude? I feel like at least half the time I ask a question, I am treated like an idiot. It gets tiresome quickly.

Second, native support throughout the operating system. An app is not native support in my opinion. Dropbox has an app too, it's not native. Skydrive could well have an app. After their release of a windows app yesterday, I've been very intruiged by this solution. I haven't had a chance to look over their API's too thoroughly, but if they allow for it, I'll probably throw an android app together myself.

Consolidation of accounts is nice, but not a huge deal. How often do you log in? I'd argue that the ease of getting more than 5gb for free on the other solutions is a bigger deal.

I was hoping for something a little more than what looks like google docs rebranded. You could always upload any file to google docs, but now they are pushing that a little more, and made a desktop client. In my opinion,this is not how you try and break into a market with so many already fighting for it. They needed to really be different, but they are mostly the same as everyone else instead.

OK eric, I guess that Um could have been construed as rude, but I want you to know that I am not being rude to you because you are and idiot. I am doing it because you are a weepy pussy.

I will go back and also amend my previous response since all of those reasons were overtly evident already.

The real reason Google Drive is huge is because it takes us one step closer to the dominion of our Google Overlords. A couple years ago this would not have been such a big deal, but since Android has become the most commonly used smartphone OS in the world, Google Drive is far more significant.

This is a shot across the bow for Apple as Google is slowly putting the pieces together for a singular simple Google experience for the masses. Google creates this stuff, but the fact that Apple can get stupid people to figure these things out is what is really powerful, and Google is finally starting to get that. This is largely driven by the single login. Most normal (stupid) users are immediately deterred by a second set of login credentials and therefore never had access to this kind of power in the past.

The consolidation of these services is what is going to push the common use of technology to what we see in science fiction movies. We have the technology to do these types of things, but the average user is not committed or intelligent enough to actually accomplish these kinds of tasks.

Pervasive usage of technology is something that only a few companies are capable of pushing, basically Apple and Google right now, and possibly Microsoft in the future. I root for Google because I believe in open source and reasonably priced devices.

ericl5112

A weepy pussy? How, because I questioned the superiority of a product that doesn't seem to be obviously superior? Sounds like you are simply a jerk instead, and one with very limited intelligence at that. Your points are all valid, for a very completely different conversation. I asked, how is this better? Not, how will this be better eventually. Please read. I know it's more fun to to assert your presumed alpha male personality online, but trust me. It's time to grow up. That fanboyism isn't very becoming either. It's ok to accept that not everything google is instantly superior because google released it.

Google Drive is cheaper, even after the price increase. Storage limits do not apply to images uploaded under 2048x2048 (if you do it through google+) and for videos under certain limits. Collaboration features for docs, as well as online viewing of "over 30 filetypes" including illustrator, photoshop, and HD video.

In my purely subjective experience syncing is also much quicker than with Dropbox, which is slow as molasses in January. Google drive space also applies to your other google products: gmail, google+, and Picasa mainly - if that is important to you. Also, the drive search is supposedly much better than dropbox's. Shared files have a comment area which is kind of nice. You can share a song you've been working on and get feedback or have an impromptu group chat. I just experienced this when testing file sharing with some friends. I also just learned that google drive also does 30 day versioning like Dropbox does, which I thought was the one thing it lacked. So it does everything dropbox does and more. The only think lacking now is app integration (many of my apps integrate directly with dropbox). But that will come with time, I think. Google drive does have an API and oauth services and everything to make app integration easy. With the better feature set and pricing I'd be surprised if we didn't see good adoption on this. Autodesk, Aviary Editor, and several other apps are already integrated.

ericl5112

I hadn't thought about the paid storage. I guess that's true, but skydrive is 25gb free, and Dropbox is easy to get lots of free storage. I guess that's a trade off.

Your other points are interesting as well. Definitely something to think about, as I figure out how I want to use all these different services. Also, I want to thank you for your well thought out, non-fanboyish, human reply. Those are definitely appreciated.

If you go to your g apps management page you will see that docs is now Docs and Drive and it should have some new options regarding enabling Drive (If you were already using Docs it seems this is active by default). It just seems like this is not totally live yet. Hopefully it will populate soon, because I am itching for this like crazy.

Mental_Moose

I can at Apps users for once are not left out :D
Working perfectly on my Apps account.
Loving it so far.
Does everything Dropbox does, but with superior integration potential and already a much better Android app.
It might look as I'm a convert after all :)

kruglovus

Yep. Saw that. Checked enabled services.
Checked Drive website. Checked Android app. Checked Windows app. All say "not available for your account."
Google Apps launched in February 2006. You would think that 6 years is enough to iron all quirks and reconcile all differences between gmail.com, googlemail.com and [custom-domain-name]...

It is being a major fail for me at the moment, I installed the desktop component and it synced everything fine, and then I restarted my computer and theres an annoying popup window; "googledrivesync.exe - No Disk" that says "There is no disk in the drive. Please insert a disk into drive DeviceHarddisk10DR10." No matter whether i click Cancel, Try Again, or Continue, it keeps popping up. Wtf kinda bs is this? Windows also won't even let me uninstall the damn thing to reinstall it. The only thing I can do is disable the googledrivesync.exe from the startup menu.
Looks like Dropbox > Google Drive so far.

Tyler Chappell

Had to restart again to ensure the exe wasnt running, then I was able to uninstall and reinsall it and it resynced my files. Seems to be fixed now, don't know why it would have had that strange issue to begin with.

maxthegold

I am getting the same error. I'll try the reinstall to see if that fixes it.

Bergkees

I have uninstalled and reinstalled 2 times now, but still having the 'there is no disk in the drive' error.
The reported harddisk nr is also increasing with every re-install (started at DR7, now at DR10)Beats me, guess no google drive for me..

Bergkees

I have uninstalled and reinstalled 2 times now, but still having the 'there is no disk in the drive' error.
The reported harddisk nr is also increasing with every re-install (started at DR7, now at DR10)Beats me, guess no google drive for me..

Tyler Chappell

/sigh, just restarted my computer again and lo and behold the problem remanifested itself. This really sucks, is a person not supposed to ever restart their computer again after installing Google Drive? I chose the default location during the install which is on my 64GB SSD. Disappointing that I'll have to restart and reinstall again and then just not restart my computer until I get it figured out.

Desktop:
-Double clicking the icon in the system tray just brings up options. This should open the folder like Dropbox.
-Icons do not get the green check mark overlay if you are looking in the folder until you exit out and go back into the directory.
-Clicking the "Send feedback!" button takes you to the general google support page. At the very beginning they might actually want to collect suggestions for this app.

Android:
-Great interface, no issues yet with google accounts.
-Does not seem to support custom domains with google apps yet. These just say Drive is not enabled and revert back to the Docs interface.

Pricing for starters. Hopefully better API/SDK for better integration with Android in the future. So far the Dropbox PC client trumps Drive in every way though.

Mental_Moose

I am.

IamLegend

I mean, what makes it better than dropbox?...:P

Mental_Moose

My version was funnier :p
So far I would say: Integration with other apps and services.
I'm including future potential in that statement, but for a service that has been live for about an hour, it is already impressive.
Collaboration and stuff like that is also great, but I'm not sure if I'll actually use it.
The short version, based on my kind of use: It does everything Dropdox does and a few more things with even more potential.
Also: I like having all my services integrated. I use Google for most things where I can. Moving cloud storage to them makes a lot of sense, being the kind of user I am.

Dropbox is fantastic, but Google Drive is pretty much just as good within their first hour live. That says a bit for the future :)

As soon as I realized they were switching to a new (more expensive) pricing scheme, I searched and was able to find the old "upgrade storage" page and grab an 80GB $20/yr account. All old accounts are grandfathered in indefinitely. Huzzah!

Mental_Moose

Where? How? GIVE!!
:p

Mark Arpon

This is the old page: https://www.google.com/accounts/PurchaseStorage

But it's redirecting you to the new upgrade page.

Ahmed

Looks like this is US only again!! Argh

Mental_Moose

I'm in Norway and I got access right away.

Seen lots of comments from other countries too.
I have also seen a few others from those same countries that can't get in yet, so I think it's just a short delay while they are rolling it out for everyone :)

It's not U.S. only, it's a bit unpredictable though - some people even in the U.S. are getting a turnaround, and people all over the world are getting in. It's hit or miss as they deal with capacity, I'm afraid.

Freak4Dell

I'll be waiting until ES File Explorer has this integrated before I start to actually use it, but I've downloaded the program to my computer, so it's ready to be used.

izick

Can we compare it to SkyDrive... Because SkyDrive offers automatic PC Sync of specific folders for 5 GB but also has Microsoft Office Suite available online which is much better than Google Docs!

izick

Can we compare it to SkyDrive... Because SkyDrive offers automatic PC Sync of specific folders for 5 GB but also has Microsoft Office Suite available online which is much better than Google Docs!

izick

Can we compare it to SkyDrive... Because SkyDrive offers automatic PC Sync of specific folders for 5 GB but also has Microsoft Office Suite available online which is much better than Google Docs!

TAC

I'm getting the "There is no disk in the drive. Please insert a disk into drive DeviceHarddisk11DR11." Any ideas?

I get the same thing. It seems to work after clicking "Try Again" a dozen or two times. It's really inconvenient, but that's how I got around it. This actually happened to my friend when he was running WUBI to install Ubuntu on his computer a few months back, so this is something that's not native to just Google Drive.

Ted_bears_234

I guess Google Drive is gonna change the way cloud computing is . With the kind of traction cloud computing has been generating its been great. I also feel some new tools which were launched at the recent Demo conference could be an ideal competitor for Google drive such as CollateBox http://www.collatebox.com/
Have a look at this one